Adhesive applying means for coating the flaps of cartons



H. DAuM Erm. 2,584,848 ADHESIVE APPLYING MEANS FOR COATING THE FL-APs oF cARToNs Filed May 1, 194e Feb, 5, 1952 Patented Feb. 5, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ADHESIVE APPLYING MEANS FOR COATING THE FLAPS F CARTONS Harold Daum, NewYork, N. Y., and Daniel L.

Rugen, Bound Brook, N. J., assignors Ato Johns- Manville Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corj poration of New York Application May 1, 1948, Serial No. 24,504

4 Claims.

The instant invention relates to improvements in machines and methods for sealing the aps of iilled cartons and the like of the type having upper and lower sets of side and end iiaps. Conventionally, the materials to be packaged are placed in the carton and the carton is then propelled in an endwise direction by suitable conveying mechanism. Means are provided to bend the top and bottom side closure flaps outwardly to substantially horizontal position. While in this position the iiaps pass over adhesive applying or gluing rolls and are then folded down over the end flaps against the top and bottom of vthe carton and sealed in overlapping relationship to the end iiaps.

In the standard machine two sets of glue applicators or rolls are placed on opposite sides of the conveyor or track, each set consisting of an upper and lower glue roll whereby all four side aps of the carton are simultaneously coated with the adhesive. Where cartons of-different widths are to be handled by the same machine, the machine is made adjustable; i. e., the glue rolls and accessory equipment, guide rails, i'lap turners and the like, are mounted in such a way that thejdistance between them may be altered to accommodate diierent carton widths. As will be appreciated, in view of the relative complexity of the machine, such adjustments are not readily made and, hence, for economical operation the numberv of adjustments must be reduced to a minimum. For this reason it has been conventional to pre-sort the cartons and run all cartons of a single width through the machine before changing the machine to accommodate cartons of another size.

The principal object of the instant invention is'thejprovision of an improved carton sealer which can be used with cartons of different Widths without, adjustment. In the machine of the instant invention cartons of different widths and in any order may be run through the machine, one after vthe other, hence entirely doing away with the needof any adjustments or of sorting the cartons according to size.

' arm, the carton conveyor track istilted or in- Another object of the invention is the provito the other side of the machine to be acted on by the 'glue roll and cooperating elements on that side of the machine.

clined toward the respective glue rolls` whereby the force of gravity iseiiiployed i'nl'part Ato move the carton across the track. into position to be acted upon by the glue rolls. In some cases the tilted track alone mayY be ,used for the carton shifting operation. g

' j Our invention willvbe "more fully understood and further objects andV advantages thereof will become apparent whenfreference. is made to the more detailed description of theY invention which is to follow and to the accompanying drawings in which: t

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic,v perspectiveview of an apparatus in' accordance'- with" the instant invention; vf

Fig. 2 is a top plan view-of 'the apparatus of Fig. 1, with parts removed for clearness of illus-A tration; y

Fig. 3 is a sectional vie of Fig. 1; and,

the construction and 'operationo he carton shifting device. y' 'f Referring now to the'v .'drawings,-there is diagrammatically shownv acartnifclosing machine of the type in which a series ofc'arton'sror packages are continuously propelled horizontally through the machine while yariousflfsealing and closing operations areperOrmed-On'them. The machine comprises a carton :conveying means consisting of a track Ill,` suitablya Smooth, steel plate on which .the cartonsareadapted-to slide, and a propelling deviceincluding chains I2 (see particularly Figs. 1 andi 3)4 carried by sprockets I4 at opposite ends and at both sides'of 'the ,machine. Sprockets I4 are suitably supported on shafts I6, the latter being driven by any suitable means (not shown). 'Extendingf-between fthe chains are cross bars AI8. atsuitable'intervals, each bar serving to propel a carton along track I0. 'Adjacent opposite si'de,s 0f the track are pairs of guide rails 2D and 22', respectively; the jguide rails dening the effective width 'of the trackv against, to position the cartons for the flap sealing and closing operations. as will later be more fully pointed out. Each of the pairs of guide rails thus constitutes a carton positioning stop to limit the movement of the cartons transversely of the track. A

`The cartons, indicated at 24, which are to be put through the instant machine, are of the type including end flaps 26 and side flaps 28 at both the top and bottom, the side flaps, folding over the end flaps and being adhesively' secured thereto when the .carton is closed and sealed.

The conventional machine, in addition to the elements described above, includes devices or plows for opening the side flaps 28 to the horizontal position illustrated in Fig. 1 and for holding them in such position as the flaps pass over or under, depending upon whether the bottom or top flap is referred to. glue rolls 3l. Such elements are entirely conventional and are not shown. I

In accordance with the instant invention the conveyor, including track I and the propelling device, is made of such a width as to accommodate the widest carton which the machine is to handle. Guide rails or stops and 22 are in xed position along the conveyor track, and glue rolls and the associated apparatus are so positioned relative to the guide rails that, when a carton is against a guide rail with its flaps extended, the flaps will be in position to be contacted and coated by the glue rolls on that side of the machine.

The glue rolls and associated apparatus are spaced longitudinally of the machine a suillcient distance apart, as illustrated, to permit the glue to be applied to the flaps on one side of the carton and the carton to be shifted to the other side of the machine in position for glue application to the flaps on the corresponding side of the carton while continuing its travel at a predetermined rate along track l0.

Adjacent each of the gluing stations, designated by the reference characters A and B respectively, means are provided to move the carton into position against the guide rails or stop and to hold it against the guide rails during the application of the glue to theV flaps at that station. This device at station A`is indicated generally -by the reference character 32 and at station B by the reference character 34. Devices 32 and 34 each include a curved pressure arm 36 mounted for swinging movement on a fixed pivot or bar 38 located adjacent the opposite side of the machine from the glue applicator and supported from the frame of the machine in any suitable manner (not shown) The mounting for the arm 36 includes means for causing it to exert yielding pressure against the carton to force the carton against the guide rails or stop as the carton travels past the glue applicator. Suitably this latter means may consist of a tensioned coil spring 40 surrounding bar 38 with its ends connected to the arm and bar, respectively, the spring being tensioned to swing the arm toward the carton. A stop may be provided as indicated at 42 in Fig. 2 to limit the inward swinging movement of the arm.

In addition to, or in lieu of pressure arms 32, depending upon the weight of the cartons and their resistance to sliding on track l0, the force of gravity may be used to move the cartons. This is illustrated particularly in Fig. 3 where the track is shown slanting toward the right-hand side of the machine adjacent gluing station A on the the bottom of the carton.

right-hand side and `toward the left-hand side of the machine adjacent gluing station B on such side, whereby the cartons as they approach the respective stations will be urged by the force of gravity against the appropriate guide rails orstop.

After the cartons leave each gluing station the glued flaps must be folded into closed position in\contactwith the end ilaps 26. For this purpose guides 44' and 46 of a modified conventional constructions are used. It will be understood that there are similar guide strips for both the top and -bottom flaps, the guide strips for the bottom flaps being positioned to force the flaps downwardly and then upwardly against the bottom of the carton, and the top guide strips being positioned to move the flaps first upwardly and then downwardly against the top of the carton. Referring particularly to the bottom guide strips shown in some detail, each of these consists of a twisted metal strip with its forward edge positioned to overlie a ilap 28 as it leaves the glue roll, and rotate the flap through 180 and against The bottom guide strips are located in recesses or openings in track I0, the rear ends of the guide strips merging into the track. The upper guide strips are of the same construction except that they are oppositely twisted.

In the operation of the device described above the loaded cartons are deposited on track l0 with all flaps closed. As the cartons are conveyed along the track by bars I8 of the propelling device, plows (not shown), installed along the center line of the top and bottom tracks are inserted between the side flaps at the bottom and top. The aps are thus folded back to an extended position through an arc of as the carton is carried forward to the rst glue roll. As the carton approaches gluing station A the carton is forced against the guide rails or stop on that side by the yielding pressure of arm 36 of pressure means 32. In the preferred embodiment, movement of the carton into contact with the guide rails is also eiected by the inclination of track IU toward the guide rails at that side of the machine, as illustrated particularly in Fig. 3. As the carton is propelled forwardly through the gluing station it is held against the guide rails by the pressure arm and the inclination of the track, and glue rolls 30 apply a layer of glue., which may be a continuous layer or in the form of stripes, dots, etc., as desired, to the inner surfaces of the top and bottom side flaps at that side of the carton. As forward movement of the cartons is continued, the ilap at the lower side passes under, and at the upper side, over the guide .strips 44, and the two flaps are rotated 'through 180 into contact with the upper and lower ends of the carton respectively. When the carton approaches gluing station B it is contacted by pressure means 34 which causes it to travel laterally across the track into contact with the guide rails or stop on the other side of the machine. Movement of the carton across the track is also preferably aided by the inclination of the track toward the guide rails at that side of the machine, as illustrated in Fig. 3. The carton is maintained in contact with the guide rails by the pressure arm and by the inclination of the track. during its travel past the glue rolls where glue is applied to the inner surfaces of the tlaps at that side of the carton. These ilaps are then folded through 180 into contact with the top and bottom of the carton, respectively, in the same manner as the flaps on the opposite side. Movement of the carton under control of the propelling device is continued to deposit the filled and closed cartons, in accordance with conventional practice, onto a compression conveyor of any suitable type where the glued flaps are pressed and held in close contact with the ends of the carton, and the glue is set. It will be appreciated that such conventional portions of the machine have not been shown as they may take any usual or desired form.

The method and apparatus described above permit cartons of different widths to be successively closed without any adjustment of the machine, movement of the carton into position to be operated on by the differentl gluing stations taking place automatically during its travel through the machine. It will be appreciated that this entirely eliminates the need of carton sorting and of manual adjustments. The apparatus is simple in construction and operation and the improvements provided by the present invention do not add materially to the cost of the equipment.

Having thus described my invention in rather full detail, it, will be understood that these details need not be strictly adhered to but that various changes and modifications may suggest themselves to one skilled in the art, all falling within the scope of the invention as defined by the subjoined claims.

What We claim is:

1. In a machine for sealing carton closure flaps, said machine including a carton conveying device, the improvement comprising, an adhesive applicator on one side of said conveying device, an adhesive applicator forwardly of said first applicator and on the opposite side of the conveying device, means including a pressure arm acting on the carton for controlling the position of the carton on said conveying device to place a closure ap on one side thereof in position to receive adhesive from said first applicator as the carton moves past the applicator on the conveying device, and means including a pressure arm acting on the carton to control the position of such carton to place a closure iiap on the opposite side thereof in position to receive adhesive from said second applicator as the carton is moved past it on said conveying device.

2. In a machine for sealing carton closure flaps. said machine including a conveyor, the improvement comprising, an adhesive applicator on one side of said conveyor, a stop adjacent said applicator for positioning said carton, an adhesive applicator forwardly of the applicator and on the opposite side of the conveying device, a stop adjacent said second-mentioned applicator for positioning a carton, and pressure means for forcing a carton against said first-mentioned stop and then against, said second-mentioned stop as it travels through the machine on said conveyor.

3. In a machine for sealing carton closure aps, said machine including a conveyor, the improvement comprising, an adhesive applicator on one side of said conveyor, a stop adjacent said applicator for positioning said carton, an adhesive applicator forwardly of the applicator and on the opposite side of the conveying device, a stop adjacent said second-mentioned applicator for positioning-a carton and arms mounted for contact with the carton for forcing the carton against said stops as it travels on said conveyor, and spring means for exerting yieldable pressure on said arms.

4. In a machine for sealing carton closure flaps. said machine including a track supporting the cartons and a conveyor for moving the cartons along the track, the improvement comprising, an adhesive applicator on one side of said conveyor, an adhesive applicator forwardly of said rst applicator and on the opposite side of said conveyor. said track being tilted toward said first and second-mentioned applicators, respectively, stops adjacent said applicators for positioning the carton, and pressure arms mounted for contact with the cartons for forcing said cartons into contact with said stops.

HAROLD DAUM. DANIEL L. RUGEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

